The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 17: COUGAR TOWN, Will You Be Our Valentine?

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 17. This week, Kristal and I chatted about Cougar Town's V-Day premiere, BBC's Sherlock getting renewed for Series 3, Hulu getting into original programming, our thoughts on the Golden Globes, and of course what we're watching and what we're looking forward to.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:21

TV News: 1:22 - 11:43

• Cougar Town's Valentine's Day Date: 1:22 - 4:49
• Sherlock Renewed: 4:50 - 7:42
• Hulu's Original Programming: 7:43 - 11:43

Topic of the Week - Golden Globes Reactions: 11:44 - 16:00

What We're Watching (SPOILER ALERTS): 16:01 - 36:42

• The Finder: 16:01 - 22:22
• Alcatraz: 22:23 - 27:11
• Smash: 27:12 - 31:28
• Being Human: 31:29 - 36:42

What We're Looking Forward To - Season 2 of Being Human: 36:42 - 38:30

Closing: 38:31 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

Hulu's Best in Show Tourney 2011, Rd. 2

The first round of Hulu's Best in Show Tournament has come and gone, and there really weren't any surprises although I didn't agree with some of the ultimate winners.

Community vs. The Simpsons
It could be argued that there would not be a Community without The Simpsons, but it's clear that the upstart is the favorite because its fanbase can mobilize online fairly impressively. Too bad they cannot mobilize to get their precious show better ratings. I like Community, but I'm bummed that it beat 30 Rock, so I'm voting for The Simpsons out of spite even though it will not even matter.

The Vampire Diaries vs. The Office
I haven't watched The Office in a few years, and I feel it's run the course whereas I regularly watch The Vampire Diaries because it's one of the most entertaining shows on TV right now. The Office may still "better" TV, but at least TVD doesn't bore me.

Chuck vs. Supernatural
Oddly enough pairing these two cult favorites seems appropriate because I've always thought Chuck should jump over to The CW if NBC canned it, and it could be teamed up with Supernatural on a Friday night lineup. Both shows have their strengths and weaknesses, and I like both shows, but right now Chuck hasn't gotten stale like Supernatural has, so I'm pulling for our favorite Intersect.

Modern Family vs. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Sunny is on my shortlist of shows that I need to revisit because so many people talk about how great it is, but it never struck the right chord with me. Modern Family has been struggling through a sub-par second season, but I still watch it week in and week out. WINNER: Modern Family

House vs. Breaking Bad
I'll vote for House just because I've actually seen an episode of that show.

Mad Men vs. Burn Notice
I really dig Mad Men and cannot stand Burn Notice, so this choice is easy.

Glee vs. Dexter
These are two shows that most critics love to hate on because they either change too much (Glee) or do not change enough (Dexter). I tried multiple times to get into Dexter, but it's just not happening while I'll watch Glee episodes over and over despite their many flaws.

Parenthood vs. How I Met Your Mother
I haven't been happy with the last few seasons of HIMYM but I'm still on board for now. I couldn't get past the first handful of Parenthood episodes even though I've heard that it has improved vastly. Still, I'm going with Mother.

Hulu's Best in Show Tournament 2011

Last year, Hulu got bit by the March Madness bug, and they put together their Best in Show Tournament. Apparently, the gimmick was a hit because the video streaming site has recently released the brackets for a 2011 edition.

News: Hulu-ing for Dollars

So, the L.A. Times is reporting that the rumors of Hulu charging for premium service will be coming to fruition this May. I know that a lot of people will bitch and moan about having to pay $10 for what used to be free, but I think those people are getting their panties in a wad prematurely.

The article doesn't state too much about Hulu's plan, but it did state that the last five episodes of shows will still be free, and I'd venture a bet those are the episodes most people watch. Sure, it's cool to have a backlog of some older shows, but I'm not logging on to Hulu to watch old episodes of Kings. I'm there to catch up on the shows I missed during the week.

Also, we don't really know what Hulu Plus will look like. More than likely the subscription fee means you can watch all shows ad-free. I'm sure the free episodes will still have ads (longer ones from what it looks like), and I'm cool with that because I'm not against commercials to begin with. I never understood why people go to such lengths to avoid a few minutes of ads.

While I'm not against the idea of paying for a premium version of Hulu (especially if the episodes I watch will still be free), I don't know if I'll be dishing out the Hamiltons right away. The only way I'd be willing to add Hulu Plus is if they eventually go the same route Netflix has taken. Netflix Instant is by far one of the greatest leaps in the history of home entertainment, and if Hulu comes out with an HD device (or have their service integrated into Blu-Ray players or gaming systems), then I'll gladly pay a subscription fee on par with what I pay for Netflix.

I'm surprised that so many people are surprised at the news. We all knew this day was coming, yet there are people out there already screaming boycott. Let them waste time with their bit-torrents while I watch the last five episodes of Castle in peace. So what if I have to endure a few more commercials...I just surf the web while they're playing anyway.

My Instant Gratification

Netflix just got a billion times better because I just found out that every season of Buffy, Angel, and Firefly can not be instantly streamed to my HDTV. I even added all three seasons of Arrested Development (still trying to figure out the appeal of that show), Season 1 of Dollhouse, Season 1 of Better Off Ted, and Seasons 3 & 4 of Bones.

Add these shows to a queue that already includes Leverage, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and Torchwood, and who really needs cable or DVDs for that matter. If Hulu became this extensive, I'd definitely consider ponying up some coinage for the service.

Man, I get way too excited about my TV shows...

My Two-Cents on the Best in Show Tourney: Round 2

In preparation for my own TV tournament, I've decided to take a look at Round 2 of Hulu's Best in Show Tournament.

Comedy Hit
Modern Family vs. Community

In a lot of ways this match-up seems fitting since these two shows are the breakout freshman stars for ABC and NBC respectively. I'll be honest, I've only seem a handful of episodes from each show, but based on what I've seen Community takes the lead based on Abed's antics alone.

Workplace Comedy
Parks & Recreation vs. The Office

Of course the Workplace Comedy Regional comes down to two NBC Thursday Night Comedies since this subgenre has become the Peacock's comedic bread and butter. I was a little surprised to see P&R beat out fellow NBCer, 30 Rock, to reach the regional finals. What wasn't surprising was seeing The Office whoop up on Better Off Ted, which is a shame because Ted is a billion times better than The Office. I still don't understand the appeal of P&R, and The Office is a vet, so I'm picking Michael Scott and Company for the win.

Animation
Family Guy vs. The Simpsons

Just like workplace comedies are in NBC's wheelhouse, the same can be said about FOX and animated comedies, so it's no surprise that Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson are squaring off for the Animation Domination Crown (also all four shows come from FOX, so it was inevitable). Again, Family Guy vs. The Simpsons is fitting because the two shows have had a rivalry going on for some time now. I keep giving Family Guy the chance to prove to me that it's funny, but it always fails. The Simpsons is clearly past its prime, but it's still better than its Rhode Island opponent.

Detective Drama
Bones vs. Castle

Now this is the match up I've been waiting for because these are two of my all-time favorite shows, and since they're so much a like, they were destined to face off for the Cop + Outside Specialist Crime Procedural title. I've already pitted these two shows in my own TV Showdown, so I'm just going to go with my original pick, Castle.

Medical Drama
House vs. Royal Pains

House probably has the easiest road to the finals because it was up against the low-rated NBC drama, Mercy, and now it's taking on the USA upstart. House has proven that it has the legs for the long haul, and its win is as close to lock as you can get. I was expecting a classic House vs. Grey's showdown, but I'm a little glad a smaller show like Royal Pains received some love.

Action
Burn Notice vs. Chuck

Burn Notice is keeping hope alive for Team USA, but it is going up against one of the most beloved cult shows that's graced our screens in the last couple of years. As a Chuck fan, I'm a little worried about this match up because I've heard nothing but good things about Burn Notice. In the end, I think Chuck's fanbase will help it win, but I have a feeling it's going to be a close race.

Sci-Fi
Fringe vs. Lost

It's Abrams vs. Abrams in the Sci-Fi Shootout, and again this match up seems fitting since Fringe could become the heir apparent to Lost (especially since it looks like both FlashForward and V are duds for ABC). My sentimental favorite is Fringe since it's been able to prove itself as the scrappy underdog amongst the big dogs of Thursday nights, but this is Lost's title to win.

Newcomers
Parenthood vs. Caprica

I've never seen either show, and I only watched a few episodes of Battlestar Galactica, so I really cannot make an informed decision. I will say that Parenthood is the type of show I tend to like, so it's my "gun to my head" pick.

Overall, I'm happy with the results of the BiS Tourney, and here's to more TV goodness.

My Best In Show

March is known for a few things: St. Patrick's Day, Spring Break, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament (aka March Madness). Many sports fans believe that March Madness is by far the best time of the sporting calendar, and while I don't really agree with that (college football is way better), waiting for the brackets to come out, and predicting which teams will win has become a past-time that rivals fantasy football.

It seems like the last couple of years the idea of tournaments and their brackets have caught on in the pop culture world as well, especially when it comes to television. Personally, I think some of it has to do with the How I Met Your Mother episode, "The Bracket". Either way, E! has been doing an Alpha Male and Girl on Top tourney with 64-character brackets, and it looks like EW and Hulu are getting in on the fun too with their "Best in Show" Tournament.

Watch: CASTLE Returns

Words cannot describe how much I've missed Castle, and the new episode comes out on my birthday. SCORE!

News: CASTLE's Best Ratings Ever

Last night, ABC's Castle had its best ratings ever, and it beat CSI: Miami for the first time ever (so what if it was a repeat).  It was the perfect episode to put up against a rerun of CSI:M because it jam packed full of Castle/Beckett stuff, which is the heart of the show.  I just hope last night episode earned the show some new viewers (and maybe some of CSI's too).  You doubt the show's greatness? Check out this week's episode...